Over the last couple of days my energy levels had been dropping and dropping.
Not unexpected considering I'm having chemo. However yesterday I just got weaker and weaker.
By evening I found myself unable to move around without feeling faint and dizzy, or even worse I'd start coughing and become anaerobic and completely puffed.. like I'd just run 400M flat out. All this sometimes from just standing up. Not nice.
I was due in the day ward today for a blood transfusion but I knew they'd take one look at me and admit me so Sarah packed an overnight bag for me. Sure enough the nurse took my obs (vital signs) and called the doctor over immediately. He confirmed what we all knew.. I was pretty sick.. low blood pressure, tachycardic, feverish and pale.
Good news is that eight hours later and I'm feeling a lot better. I can move around again and not collapse in a screaming heap.
I should be out of here by the end of the week. I'm not complaining.. I know when I'm sick, and I'm sick. This is the best place to be. Ultimately I'll be fine, of this I'm now sure.
However in the middle of the night last night I was not so sure. I imagined that it would have been very easy to just close me eyes and slip away, that's how weak I was. Beyond fatigue.. almost absolute zero. ..Scary
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
End of the 2nd cycle
On Friday I had the last of my chemo for a while.
I don't know that it's done a heck of a lot for me other than help with my blood production and counts.
It will take about another week before I see the counts start to rise again, having been knocked back by the current dose, but hopefully I will have some really good numbers after a few weeks of no chemo.
Right now I'm physically unable to do much at all. I keep making the mistake of standing up and walking to some part of the house for some item or such and then almost passing out as my blood pressure drops, my heart starts racing and I become breathless. It's really not nice.
On Friday at the blood and cancer day ward it was decided that I needed two units of whole blood, this was based on a blood test that was two days old, so who knows what the real readings were like? Ultimately I was only given one unit because there was not enough time to complete two.
I have to get a blood test on Monday morning and then on Tuesday I'll get more blood. I'm betting the counts will be through the floor!
Last weekend was a real mixed bag as far as how I was feeling went. I'd had the first session of the current cycle of chemo on the Friday. I felt awful on the Saturday and decided that I would not race the next day at a hillclimb event as planned. Then on Sunday I woke early feeling really good.
So along with my brother Mark we headed off to the Wairarapa for a few hours motor-racing.
I didn't have any problems with driving the car, but walking around the pit paddock was a real effort.
The organisers were kind enough to let me run in any order I liked. That way I could get my practice and three timed runs all done as quickly as possible and get home to rest.
I used to hold the record for the event (Admiral road) until a few years back when I was pipped by just a fraction of a second by then NZ rally champion Richard Mason. I've always managed to cover the 900 metre course in the 36 second bracket. Last Sunday I was struggling to post a low 38 second time.
Ultimately I was beaten by Ryan Stevens when he managed a 37 second run. I was a little disappointed until I was reminded by both Mark and Sarah that I'm sick and in no way on form. Second place was a very good result considering my state of health.
I'm still waiting for the new drug to be imported. In fact I'm still waiting for someone to front up and take charge of getting it. Lots of talk from the doctors when I see them face to face, but it's always like ground-hog day when I see then again next time. ..a little frustrating. I've decided it will be at least March before anything happens... we shall see.
My broken rib seems to be settling down. It no longer pops in and out as I move, cough or breath.
It's now totally painless and I can sleep on that side without feeling like there is a lump there.
It's amazing how the body can stil heal something that is broken and constantly moving.
A few people have asked me how I'm managing to cope income-wise now that I can't do any physical work. I'm lucky in that I have my wonderful wife Sarah to support me, and on the business side of things I've been able to grow the internet sales from behind my computer keyboard with very little physical effort. I've also developed some new skills in finding car parts on the internet and procuring them for my customers at prices below what is available locally. It's work I enjoy and as I'm just sitting behind my desk and not moving around too much I don't get fatigued and end up coughing all day long.
..Ron
I don't know that it's done a heck of a lot for me other than help with my blood production and counts.
It will take about another week before I see the counts start to rise again, having been knocked back by the current dose, but hopefully I will have some really good numbers after a few weeks of no chemo.
Right now I'm physically unable to do much at all. I keep making the mistake of standing up and walking to some part of the house for some item or such and then almost passing out as my blood pressure drops, my heart starts racing and I become breathless. It's really not nice.
On Friday at the blood and cancer day ward it was decided that I needed two units of whole blood, this was based on a blood test that was two days old, so who knows what the real readings were like? Ultimately I was only given one unit because there was not enough time to complete two.
I have to get a blood test on Monday morning and then on Tuesday I'll get more blood. I'm betting the counts will be through the floor!
Last weekend was a real mixed bag as far as how I was feeling went. I'd had the first session of the current cycle of chemo on the Friday. I felt awful on the Saturday and decided that I would not race the next day at a hillclimb event as planned. Then on Sunday I woke early feeling really good.
So along with my brother Mark we headed off to the Wairarapa for a few hours motor-racing.
I didn't have any problems with driving the car, but walking around the pit paddock was a real effort.
The organisers were kind enough to let me run in any order I liked. That way I could get my practice and three timed runs all done as quickly as possible and get home to rest.
I used to hold the record for the event (Admiral road) until a few years back when I was pipped by just a fraction of a second by then NZ rally champion Richard Mason. I've always managed to cover the 900 metre course in the 36 second bracket. Last Sunday I was struggling to post a low 38 second time.
Ultimately I was beaten by Ryan Stevens when he managed a 37 second run. I was a little disappointed until I was reminded by both Mark and Sarah that I'm sick and in no way on form. Second place was a very good result considering my state of health.
I'm still waiting for the new drug to be imported. In fact I'm still waiting for someone to front up and take charge of getting it. Lots of talk from the doctors when I see them face to face, but it's always like ground-hog day when I see then again next time. ..a little frustrating. I've decided it will be at least March before anything happens... we shall see.
My broken rib seems to be settling down. It no longer pops in and out as I move, cough or breath.
It's now totally painless and I can sleep on that side without feeling like there is a lump there.
It's amazing how the body can stil heal something that is broken and constantly moving.
A few people have asked me how I'm managing to cope income-wise now that I can't do any physical work. I'm lucky in that I have my wonderful wife Sarah to support me, and on the business side of things I've been able to grow the internet sales from behind my computer keyboard with very little physical effort. I've also developed some new skills in finding car parts on the internet and procuring them for my customers at prices below what is available locally. It's work I enjoy and as I'm just sitting behind my desk and not moving around too much I don't get fatigued and end up coughing all day long.
..Ron
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